Book Review: The Legacy Path
I have been looking forward to reading "The Legacy Path: Discover Intentional Spiritual Parenting" since I heard Brian Haynes was writing a second book. Haynes' first book, "Shift: What It Takes To Finally Reach Families Today" was a discipleship strategy based on Haynes' research and study, but more focused on a theology of family ministry. I wondered, how will this book be a repeat and how will it be different? In reading reviews of his first book, several challenged Haynes' on his strategy leaving out the church and wondered about children from non-Christian homes.
I loved Shift and did not understand the critiques coming from bloggers. However, I read Shift as one who had talked personally with Brian on the phone and as one who had attended workshops he had led at the D6 Conference. For more information about D6, visit http://www.d6conference.com Needless to say, I was excited about a practical way to implement family ministry in the church setting.
In both books, Haynes' outlines the milestones strategy, as he calls it, based on study of God's Word. One of my favorite things about Haynes' is his faithfulness to Scripture. Before he explains his strategy, he points you to the Bible. He clearly explains what God's Word says about discipleship in the home and church. In The Legacy Path, several times he challenges the reader to stop reading his book and go to God's book. This book is filled with many examples from Scripture.
My favorite chapter from The Legacy Path was Chapter 2 which focused on abiding in Christ. This chapter alone is worth the price of the book! In it, Haynes' helps parents to understand that the strategy is dependent on how close a person is abiding. He again proves his point by encouraging the reader to look at John 15. All followers of Christ would benefit from a careful reading of this chapter.
The rest of the book focused on the legacy path. He explains the key elements of the path which are Faith Talks, God Moments, & Celebration. Haynes then outlines what each milestone is (there are 7), how the parent can lead Faith Talks & God Moments for each milestone and then how to celebrate a milestone with your child. I tried to read these sections as if I had not read Shift. Does The Legacy Path give enough information to guide a parent to lead their children as a primary faith trainer? I actually think Haynes' does a better job in The Legacy Path than he did in Shift of explaining the core competencies and giving practical examples of what it looks like.
Several other chapters to note include his final chapters on how the church and home partner together and what if the strategy doesn't work (i.e. you guide your child through the path and they wander from the faith). Haynes' does a great job addressing the critiques that were expressed from Shift in these chapters. He makes it clear that the primary faith trainer is the parent, but this does not happen in isolation, but instead in the community of the church. It is both! He has helpful words for parents who have experienced the heartache of a prodigal child.
I highly recommend The Legacy Path to parents. Even though I had read Shift, I still think it is a valuable resource for the church leader as well. Parents will benefit from a tangible plan by reading The Legacy Path. Even if a church is not following the milestones strategy, I believe it has value for parents as it highlights key times in the life of a child and how to lead during those stages. I think the books together will make a powerful combination in the discipleship of the generations to come.
I loved Shift and did not understand the critiques coming from bloggers. However, I read Shift as one who had talked personally with Brian on the phone and as one who had attended workshops he had led at the D6 Conference. For more information about D6, visit http://www.d6conference.com Needless to say, I was excited about a practical way to implement family ministry in the church setting.
In both books, Haynes' outlines the milestones strategy, as he calls it, based on study of God's Word. One of my favorite things about Haynes' is his faithfulness to Scripture. Before he explains his strategy, he points you to the Bible. He clearly explains what God's Word says about discipleship in the home and church. In The Legacy Path, several times he challenges the reader to stop reading his book and go to God's book. This book is filled with many examples from Scripture.
My favorite chapter from The Legacy Path was Chapter 2 which focused on abiding in Christ. This chapter alone is worth the price of the book! In it, Haynes' helps parents to understand that the strategy is dependent on how close a person is abiding. He again proves his point by encouraging the reader to look at John 15. All followers of Christ would benefit from a careful reading of this chapter.
The rest of the book focused on the legacy path. He explains the key elements of the path which are Faith Talks, God Moments, & Celebration. Haynes then outlines what each milestone is (there are 7), how the parent can lead Faith Talks & God Moments for each milestone and then how to celebrate a milestone with your child. I tried to read these sections as if I had not read Shift. Does The Legacy Path give enough information to guide a parent to lead their children as a primary faith trainer? I actually think Haynes' does a better job in The Legacy Path than he did in Shift of explaining the core competencies and giving practical examples of what it looks like.
Several other chapters to note include his final chapters on how the church and home partner together and what if the strategy doesn't work (i.e. you guide your child through the path and they wander from the faith). Haynes' does a great job addressing the critiques that were expressed from Shift in these chapters. He makes it clear that the primary faith trainer is the parent, but this does not happen in isolation, but instead in the community of the church. It is both! He has helpful words for parents who have experienced the heartache of a prodigal child.
I highly recommend The Legacy Path to parents. Even though I had read Shift, I still think it is a valuable resource for the church leader as well. Parents will benefit from a tangible plan by reading The Legacy Path. Even if a church is not following the milestones strategy, I believe it has value for parents as it highlights key times in the life of a child and how to lead during those stages. I think the books together will make a powerful combination in the discipleship of the generations to come.
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